Party in NYC

Secret Ingredients made their NYC debut last weekend (even if I was the solo ingredient) and we were a huge success.

Birthday bash for Gabby Kent's sweet 16! in Brooklyn Heights. Doing anything in NYC is a challenge but cooking for a crowd adds an entire new dimension to the quotidian phenomena of schlepping and hustling. Menu was Mexican -- there are no great Mexican restaurants in NYC. We started with homemade tortilla chips and salsa then moved on to all white Texas Enchiladas with a caramelized onion cream sauce, chicken, cheese and roasted red pepper for color (as my mother would always say). Alongside this devastatingly delicious and calorie rich entree I served Saffron Rice with peas, Black Cowboy Beans with roasted jalapenos, tomatoes and garlic, tomatillo chutney with cinammon, cloves and fresh ginger (beyond insane flavor), a fresh and crunchy Jicama salad with a Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette and then....DESSERT with a capital D arrived in the guise of two sinfully decadent cheesecakes: traditional New York with a shortbread crust and a blueberry topping and chocoloate with a chocolate wafer crust and a sweetened whipped cream crown. To my credit, the entire meal was served again on Sunday night! So much for people being finicky about leftovers.

The upshot is that I left the right coast with people full, happy and begging for more. I hope this is the first of many occasions we'll be asked to cater a party in my most favorite city on earth. Recipes available on request.

In the meantime, happy eating, drinking and enjoying all with friends and family.

Lisa